All entry fees must be paid by Friday, April 28th 6pm. Entry fee includes all meals, awards, and goodie bags. Souvenir shirts and caps can be purchased.

Registration will take place at Stingaree’s Down Under at 6:00 pm Friday April 28, prior to the Calcutta, but is not required.

Fishing Rules All anglers must have a valid Texas Fishing License and Saltwater Stamp. All Texas Parks and Wildlife rules must be observed. Boats may leave the dock 6:00 am on April 29th. Natural or artificial bait may be used.

3 Trout (limit of one trout over 25” per team), 2 slot redfish and 1 flounder will we weighed per team. Winners will be determined by total weight of the catch (maximum of 6 fish). Ties will be broken by check-in times.

Winners may be subject to polygraph. Cash prizes may not be awarded until authenticity is determined.

Tournament boundaries are the surf from High Island @ HWY 124 West to San Luis and

Galveston bay complex. Entries can begin from their preferred launch or beach access.

Tournament will begin at daylight April 29th.

Weighing Official weigh in will take place from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm at Stingaree’s Restaurant & Marina and will be administered by the Lions Club. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Prizes and Payouts

Heaviest Stringer: 3 Speckled Trout, 2 Redfish, 1 Flounder

1st place – $2000.

2nd place – $1000.

3rd place – $500

Kids Hardhead Haul-in 12yrs old and under presented by Holtzclaw Memorial Foundation.

Heaviest Hardhead wins a $500.00 scholarship

Kids can start fishing at 8:00am. Weigh-in will be between 9:00am-10:00am. Awards

ceremony for kids will be @10:30am. Hot dogs and drinks will be served.

Tournament will be held in Trinity and Galveston Bay complex. This is a TEAM Tournament. with 3 man teams. They will go out with professional fishing guides. Team stringers will consist of no more than 5 fish, speckled trout only. The Calcutta winners will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams with tournament prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Winners.

Louisiana

If spending you’re winter months watching fishing shows and tinkering with your boat just wont do, then don’t do it! Hit the road Jack! Check out one of these incredible fishing spots to get in on some action. If you can take the weather above ground, the fish are more than happy to accommodate you below the surface. Who said you can’t fish in the winter. Remember the old cliché “Where there is a will, there is a way!” It couldn’t be more true when it comes to winter fishing for any determined angler. If you are winter fishing in Louisiana, near Venice, try a favorite local hotspot there. Just on the NW corner of Trinity Barrier Island (Lake Pelto side), offshore from the beach, resides a couple square miles of a fisherman’s paradise. Be careful getting there because the seas are normally choppy and there can be quite a lot of fog. The local charter captains call it “Horse Shoe Reef.” It is filled with a virtual smorgasbord of edible species. The entire area between Wine Island Pass and Whiskey Island, on the lakeside, is extremely productive fishing. The closest jumping off point would be Boudreaux’s Marina off Hwy 56, near Cocodrie. Two of the more popular game fish are Yellow Fin Tuna and Wahoo. They can be the most fun to catch; however, a tasty 300 lb Mako will give any angler a run for his money. The Yellow Fin average upwards of 110 pounds and the Wahoo are around 75 pounds. If you’re not in the mood for these two species, there are numerous Amberjacks, Black Fin Tuna, Mackerel, Grouper and Snapper (check seasonal restrictions).

Texas

There are some exciting winter fishing opportunities in the form of lakes used to supply cooling water to electrical generation plants in Texas. These 20+ unique areas furnish tremendous prospects for anglers. A Southeast Texas favorite is the Neches River Canal near the Entergy Power Plant outflow on the Bridge City side of the Rainbow Bridge (above). The unintended benefits of these areas are that the water stays warm year round, attracting fish like magnets. Some of these lakes have tournaments, so you can fish them during the week if you prefer less traffic. The warmth is usually highest at the outfall of the power plant and will get colder the further away you get. Be sure to pay attention to your boats fishfinder with its temperate readings. Also, the output and intake creates a current. It would be to your benefit to locate it. If its freshwater, Bass love hanging out on the edge of the current. The trick is to find the fish’s comfort zone; that is where they will congregate. Remember just because there is a power plant on a lake doesn’t mean it is running. Many power plants only run when the demand is greater; in Texas that is summer. In the case of the Entergy Plant above, it may also be closed during a hard freeze. Its cold out there so you may want to check before you head out.

The Coastal Conversation Association has been around since 1978 with many accomplishments under it’s belt. The mission of this organization is to educate the public and to advise on conservation that involves marine type resources. They strive to conserve and to enhance the availability of these coastal resources for future generations, as well as the current one, to enjoy. They sponsor many activities during the year but one of the most popular is the CCA StarKids Tournament.

The CCA Star Tournament was held over the summer of 2015. This CCA StarKids Tournament Yields “BIG WIN” For Local Girl of only 8 years old. The CCA puts on a StarKids tournament yearly and this year little Maritza Martinez from Southeast Texas won a $50,000 dollar scholarship for her catch. She fished regularly this summer as part of the tournament but never caught a fish big enough to place her the statewide tournament’s winners circle. That all changed for her on Labor Day, while fishing in the Trinity Bay.

She was enjoying another fishing trip with her family when she suddenly hooked the 23 5/8’s inch Sheepshead Division winner. The Sheepshead weighed 11 pounds even. Her father never expected the fish that was on the other end of that line when she yelled “Dad I got a really big fish.” He thought it might be a stingray! He was astonished as she reeled the monster fish in all by herself. They decided it might be a winner and brought it in to be weighed. Next thing you know Maritza had won the grand prize $50,000 college scholarship for her efforts. Congratulations Maritza Martinez on this wonderful win!

http://www.startournament.org/

Fox Sports Southwest
StarKids Sheepshead Division (ages 6 – 10)

One $50,000 college scholarship will be awarded for catching the largest Sheepshead in this division.

Galveston Bay Foundation Event

The very popular saltwater fishing tournament is held at Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula each year. This tournament is for the ladies only and brings anglers and enthusiasts from all over Texas. The funds go to help protect Galveston Bay’s natural resources. This tournament is for the novice to the advanced anglers, everyone has a winning shot at the prizes. It is a whole day of fun and you learn a whole lot about Galveston Bay while you’re at it. You can have a guided team or an non-guided team, both are eligible. The tournament participants enjoy an entire day of competitive fishing while at the same time helping the Galveston Bay foundation.

The organization was founded in 1987 and is a non-profit organization that works to preserve, protect and enhance the natural resources of the Galveston Bay estuarine system through its programs in education, conservation and research.

This year “Casing for Conservation” tournament was held last Saturday on July 25, 2015. There were numerous attendees and everyone had a blast. The tournament check in was Friday Night at “Steve’s Landing” restaurant and the weigh-in was at “Stingaree Restaurant and Marina” on Saturday at 1pm. Texas Marine is one of the many proud sponsors of this annual event!

What do you mean “Fishing is for the Birds” you say angrily! Read this blog and you will learn to appreciate the benefits of that statement. Many a fisherman has seen the birds congregate over the bay as the sun was beginning to let go for the day and night was gently creeping in behind it. Have you ever wondered what all the ruckus was about, with those darn birds, when all the world is at peace? Well any seasoned fisherman knows using birds to locate fish has been around since the caveman days, before GPS and Fishfinders. Why not use those friendly little residents? Texas has over 500 species of birds migrating through our coastal areas. There are Sandpipers, Black-necked Stilts, Ducks, Egrets, Herons and Seagulls just to name a few. It only makes sense to local anglers to learn their behavior and use them to their benefit. The Ole Timers like to say “work with nature, not against it” for a very good reason.

The shrimp migration into the deeper area bay waters begin around June. As the shrimp start making their way through the area, fish go into a feeding frenzy. If you have never seen one of these, it is a site to behold. In order to fish with the birds in Southeast Texas, you must first understand the behavior of shrimp. Its because all the ruckus and fuss centers around those tasty little tidbits. Post-larval shrimp come from about 300′ deep water out in the Gulf around February, into the shallow estuaries of the bays along the Texas coast. Once they enter the nursery here they assume a benthic existence. They concentrate in less than 3′ of water where there is attached vegetation or abundant detritus to hide and eat. They soon develop into juveniles and begin moving into the deeper bay from about June-August, as they continue to mature. Enter those crazy birds! Shrimp are about around 3″-4″ at this stage. The redfish as well as other species, such as birds, begin their gorging feasts. It seems everyone is out to get their chomper’s on these delicious little guys. The fish eat so much they often regurgitate some of it; the birds go nuts over the shrimp samplings freely floating everywhere, just for the taking.

All this fun lasts till late summer when the remaining shrimp have become sub-adults and begin their long journey out into the Gulf of Mexico, to have their own little baby larva. At this point the cycle repeats itself one again. You can set your seasonal watches by it anglers, its mother natures miraculous clockwork. The moral to this story is if you find the birds swarming and squawking over the water they are feeding on shrimp; there you will most certainly find the fish. Its better than a Fishfinder!

Here is a video that will give you a quick glance at one of these feeding frenzies……….Click Here.

Tagged Category 100 Tagged Fish will be safely released into Toledo Bend

Toledo Bend Official Weigh In Station:
Toledo Town and Tackle. Located at the crossroads of Toledo Bend on the Louisiana side at Highway 6 and Highway 191. Curt and the Crew are excited to be a part of our first event and can’t wait to put that 10 lbs. or Larger Bass on the scales For you or check in your Tagged Bass.

Lately, it has been raining and raining and raining. For fishermen, this leads to a lot of pent up frustration. In the first sunny day of spring, March 9th, every fishing boat in Texas must have been out on the water. All the fuss ended up producing 3 new Sharelunkers, for the highly successful Texas Parks and Wildlife Department program. This sunny day spawns “BIG BASS” Sharelunkers, for Spring break fishing trips.

Nearby Lake Sam Rayburn actually produced 2 of the 3 Sharelunkers that came in that day. Lake Sam Rayburn is now tied for 2nd as the Lake that has produced the most Sharelunkers, in the entire state. It is only beaten by Lake Fork, who holds the “Numero Uno” spot!

Darrell Tompkins from Huffman, caught TPWD ShareLunker #562 at 6:00 p.m that day. He was utilizing a spinnerbait in shallow water, when the 14.32-pound bass latched on. The gargantuan Bass was 26.25 inches long and 22.25 inches around the girth.TPWD picked it up at Jackson Hill Marina, an official ShareLunker weigh and holding station.

The other Bass from Lake Rayuburn accepted into the Sharelunker program by TPWD was #561, which was caught at the Bass Champs tournament. This monster fish weighed in at 13.05 lbs. and was 25.5 inches long, with a 21″ girth. They fish was caught by Triana Wayman of Nachogdoches in 15′ of water with a crankbait at 1:30 pm that day.

Per the TPWD Website: ShareLunker catches can be reported 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the season, by calling (903) 681-0550. If poor cellphone service prevents use of the voice number, anglers can leave a phone number (including area code) at (888) 784-0600. That number is also monitored 24/7 during the season.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass and a recap of last year’s season, see www.tpwd.texas.gov/sharelunker. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available, and a list of official Toyota ShareLunker weigh and holding stations equipped with certified scales.

Everyone claims to have the “Hottest New Fishing & Hunting Apps” on the market, especially when it comes to technology. From the old flashing fish finders to the new HD imaging, 360-view sonars, trail cams and even drones, technology is changing the way we do things.

Sportsmen have evolved from keeping logbooks and processing 35mm film to posting a picture of that monster buck or lunker bass on one of the many social media outlets within minutes of the catch or kill. We are now sharing info on the hot bite or a sighting of a monster buck instantly, all due to the advancement of technology.

As sportsmen, it is a love/hate relationship. The need to unplug has never been more relevant as is the need for instant information. If you are anything like me, you want to maximize your time spent outdoors efficiently and as effectively as possible, and I have found the next best thing to help me do just that.

ScoutLook

ScoutLook has hit the ground running and is gaining great momentum as a really useful sportsman tool. Scoutlook is adjusting to the times, as well as staying innovative with updates, to make their app better and more user friendly.

Cy Weichert and Bill Little created ScoutLook just a few years ago from an investment out of their own pockets, as they too wanted to make their valuable time in the outdoors as productive as possible. This app, accompanied by the website, has all the tools a hunter or angler needs to keep a very accurate log of their catches on the water or their adventures in the woods.

As a tournament angler, keeping a log of what I have caught while pre-fishing is paramount and this app’s quick log feature helps me do it with ease. With a quick photo of the fish on the ruler, I now have documentation of the length of the fish as well as GPS coordinates and weather conditions that will automatically log into my folder (no typing required).

I can enter all the other pertinent information at that moment or at a later time, such as lure, water clarity and boat speed, so it can be dissected that evening to help me determine a pattern. The same goes for when I am hunting. If I spot a nice buck during bow season, but can’t get him to come into range, I can log that buck’s activity directly from my phone and begin to create a log of patterns for this particular area that I hunt each year. That in turn will hopefully allow me to get on that same buck come rifle season.

Depending on how much time you spend in the field, this feature can soon help you determine what stand you should be hunting from and when, based on weather conditions and patterns from previous hunts that you have documented. All this can be managed from the website and exported to and spreadsheet for further sorting and management methods.